anderson



N v 22, 1955 w. A. ANDERSON CONSTANT DEVICE FOR CALCULATING MACHINE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 30, 1952 IN VEN TOR. WAL 7'51; ,4. ANDEPS ONBY 9 Nov. 22, 1955 w. A. ANDERSON CONSTANT DEVICE FOR CALCULATINGMACHINE Filed Dec. 30. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q INVENTOR.

WALTER 4. ANDERSON A T TORNEV Unitiid tates Patent CONSTANT DEVICE FORCALCULATING MACHINE Walter A. Anderson, Trumbull, Conn., assignor toUnderwood Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of DelawareApplication December 30, 1952, Serial No. 328,761

4 Claims. (c1. 23s-6e This invention relates to a zero indexing andconstant conditioning mechanism for calculating machines, and is animprovement over the mechanism disclosed in the patent applicationSerial No. 201,031 of Walter A. Anderson, filed December 15, 1950, nowPatent 2,647,690 issued August 4, 1953.

The present invention is exemplified herein in connection with acalculating machine of the type disclosed in the applications forpatent, Serial No. 170,968, of Oscar J. Sundstrand, filed June 29, 1950,and Serial No. 182,672 of Oscar W. Swanson and Ernest Mossberg, filedSeptember 1, 1950 now Patent 2,630,967 issued March 10, 1953, to whichreference may be made for an understanding of features of constructionand mode of operation not fully shown or described herein.

The present machine is provided with the means described in theapplications cited above for performing adding, subtracting, multiplyingand dividing operations, and for taking totals and sub-totals, all ofwhich are omitted herein as not part of the present invention.

The machine is provided with means by which multiplying and dividingoperations are performed while the amount setting means is back-spacedfrom higher to lower denominations until the set up amount entered isreduced to zero, or operation of the machine is stopped by thedepression of a special key provided therefor. When multiplication witha constant multiplicand is desired, the multiplicand may be indexed andthe set pin restoring mechanism disabled so that upon release of theusual indexing mechanism escapement, after one computation has beencompleted, movement of the indexing mechanism to the last denominationalposition will reindex the multiplicand for further use. In the machinedisclosed in the above applications, such escapement mechanism releaseallows the indexing mechanism to move to the highest denominationalposition. As the zero index pins are not normally set, these pins mustbe indexed prior to the first use of such a multiplicand.

In the machine disclosed in the Anderson application above, a specialkey is provided to preset the zero pin setting mechanism and theconstant key is then operated to release the indexing mechanism formovement to its highest denomination, the zeros being indexed as itmoves, and the zero pin setting mechanism being released at the highestindexed denomination. In practice, this mechanism has been found capableof misoperation in that if the special zero setting key is operatedwithout a succeeding indexing mechanism release, no further machineentries can be made, since the zero index pin will be set in everyeffective denominational order.

It is then one object of the present invention to provide a mechanismfor successively setting the zero pin setting mechanism and thereafterreleasing the indexing mechanism by a depression of a single key.

Normally, the indexed pins are restored as they pass to a sub-unitsdenominational position. The machine is, however, also provided with amechanism to retain the amount including the above mentioned zeros setup on the index pins, this mechanism being similar to that of theSwanson and Mossberg application above. This retained amount is to berendered available by operation of the same key which releases theindexing mechanism for movement to its highest denomination. During suchmovement, however, the zero pin setting mechanism may not be effectiveto set the zero pins for this would render the previously set up amountunavailable for computation, the lowest digit pin which is set being theonly elfective one.

it is, therefore, a further object of the present invention to provide ameans which, when the machine is conditioned for retaining a constantfactor, enables the resetting of the constant factor but prevents thesetting of the zero pins upon the depression of the aforesaid singlekey.

With these and incidental objects in View, the invention consists incertain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, theimportant elements of which are herein set forth in appended claims, anda preferred embodiment of which is hereinafter described with referenceto the drawings which accompany and form part of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a partial right side view of the machine showing the partsof the invention in normal position,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the constant key showing some of theparts in a separated relation.

Figure 3 is a right side view of the portion of the mechanism forlocking in a constant factor,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the parts for releasing the indexingmechanism for movement to the highest denomination,

Figure 5 is a plan view of the structure for setting the lowerdenominational order zero pins during indexing mechanism movement,

Figure 6 is a right side view of a portion of Figure 1 showing theposition of the parts when the constant key is depressed,

Figure 7 is a view of the constant key of Figure 1 just prior to returnof the key after depression with some overlying parts removed, and,

Figure 8 is a plan view of the machine keyboard.

General description Referring now to Figures 1 and 8 of the drawings,the present invention is embodied in a calculating machine having theusual ten amount entering keys 11 and a set of laterally positioned andvertically movable type bars 13. Each type bar 13 is connected, by meansof a swinging tail 16, Figure 1, with a tail pin 17 supported forvertical slidable movement in a block 19 mounted for slidable movementlaterally on a shaft 20 fixed in a frame 22 supported on the machineframe, not shown. The type bars 13 also actuate a totalizer, not shown.

Slidably supported in the frame are stop pins 23 for arresting the typebars in printing positions. Normally the stop pins 23 are set in theirrestored position, as shown in Figure 1, where they are clear of the tpe bar tail pins 17. The numeral keys Eli are supported in a frame 25fixed on the machine base, not shown, and when depressed, move rods 26,slidably supported in an upstanding bar 23 fixed on a swinging lever 29,and corresponding stop pins 23 rearwardly and into the path of thevertically movable type bar tail pins 17, so that upon cycling themachine by the oscillation of the main shaft 31, the type correspondingto the key 1i depressed is printed and the amount computed in thetotalizer.

The stop pins 23 are mounted in the frame 22 in rows laterally, one rowfor each type bar 13 tothe capacity of the machine. The swinging lever29 is pivoted on the keyboard frame 25 and is normally urged to swingclockwise, as seen in Figure 5, by means of a spring 32 to carry with itand denominationally position block 19 and tail pins 17. It is normallyrestrained from swinging clockwise by the engagement of the upper end ofthe upstanding bar 28 with notches 3 1, see Figure 4, in an indexinglever 35 pivoted on a stud 37 fixed on the frame 22. With the depressionof any one of the numeral keys 11, a rod 38 shifts lever 35 to releasebar 28 from notch 34 and enables the swinging lever 29 to swingclockwise, denomination by denomination.

The mechanism for entering zeros The present invention provides a meansfor entering zeros from the last significant figure entered by thenumeral keys to the full capacity of the machine upon the depression andrelease of a single key 41 The key 40 is mounted for vertical slidablemovement on studs 4-1 and 43 fixed in the keyboard frame 25, and isnormally urged to its raised position thereon by means of a spring 4-The key 40 is provided with a slot 46 engaging a pin 47 fixed in a leverpivoted on the stud 41. The lever 49 is provided with a bent-overportion 50 which overlies the upper edge of a lever 52 pivoted also onthe stud 41, and held in yieldable abutment therewith by means of aspring 53. The lower portion of lever 52 is provided with a slot 55 forreceiving the outer end 56 of a lever 58, pivoted on a stud 59, fixed onthe keyboard frame 25, as shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6.

Pivoted on a stud 61, see also Figure 2, in the lever 53 is a zero setslide 62, guided for forward and rearward slidable movement on theswinging lever 29 by a stud 64, as shown in Figure 5. The zero set slide62 and its associated parts are substantially the same construction andoperate in the same manner as disclosed in application Serial No.201,031 above.

In general, the slide 62 is provided with a bent-over end 65 thatnormally rests in front of a cam lever 67 pivoted on a pin 63 in block19. The cam lever 67 is normally urged, by a spring 7 to rest in frontof depending pins 71 fixed to the lower side of each of the zero stops23, in which position it is held by the engagement of a pin 73 thereinin a notch of a detent '76, the detent being pivoted on a pin 77 in theblock 19, and engaging the pin '73 under the urge of a spring 79.

With the depression of the key 40, after having entered the lastsignifiant figure in the numeral keys 11, lever 49 is rocked about thestud 41 counterclockwise, as seen in Figure 6, by engagement of theupper edge of slot 46 with pin 47. The rocking of lever 4-9, transmittedby way of spring 53, tensions the lever 52 to rock about stud 41 andpivot the lever -8 counterclockwise, Figure 5, causing the zero setslide 62 to move rearwardly on the swinging lever 29 and, engaging thecam lever 67, pivot that lever and force the zero stop 23 with which itis then aligned to move rearwardly and overlie the tail pin 17 of itsassociated type bar 13. The cam lever 67 is held in this position by theengagement of the pin 73 in a second notch in the detent 76 for reasonsto be later described.

Having thus set the first of the zero stops 23, for arresting the typebars 13 at the zero position, the present invention provides a means forsetting the remaining zero stops to the right of this first set zerostop, and to the full capacity of the machine, upon the release of thekey 40 from its depressed position. To do this, a lever 82 is pivoted onthe stud 41, and is provided with an upstanding leg 83 engaging a slotprovided therefor in one leg of a bell crank 86. The bell crank 86 ispivoted on a stud 88 fixed in a bracket 89 secured to the keyboard frame25, see Figure 1. Yieldably pivoted on the other leg of the bell crank86 is a release pawl 91.

Slidably mounted on the machine frame is an indexing mechanism releaseslide 92, Figure 4, which is normally urged rearwardly by a spring 94.The release slide 92 is restrained against rearward movement by theengagement of a piece 95 adjustably secured thereto with the pawl 91.Pawl 91, lever 86 and lever 82 are positioned by a spring 97, whichholds lever 82 against a pin 98 fixed in the keyboard frame 25. Therearward end of the release slide 92 normally abuts a square pin 100secured on the indexing lever 35.

Fixed on the lever 82 is a half round pin 101 having a lower flat faceand its rounded portion extending thereabove. Pivoted on a stud 104-,see also Figures 2 and 7, fixed in the key 40, is a hook 106, tensionedto normally stop against a pin 107 in the key 40, by spring 109.

With the depression of the key 40 to set the zero stop 23 aligned withcam lever 67 as previously described, the lower rear edge of the hook106 cams on the rounded portion of the pin 101 in the lever 82, which isrestrained from pivoting by its engagement with the stop pin 98,stretching the spring 109 until the hook 106 passes by the pin,whereupon the spring returns the hook to its normal position against thepin 107. As the key 40 rises from its depressed position, the hook 106engages the lower fiat face of the pin 101, and pivots the zero releaseactuating lever 82 counterclockwise about the stud 41. During thispivoting of the lever 82, its upstanding leg 83 pivots the bell crank 86clockwise, Figure 4, and disengages the hook 91 from the release slide92. The spring 94 then draws the release slide 92 rearwardly against thesquare pin 100 and pivots the indexing lever 35 from engagement with theupstanding bar 28 of swinging lever 29. The swinging lever 29 is thusfree to swing under the urge of the spring 32, and move the block 19laterally to the right, Figure 5, on the shaft 20.

The cam lever 67 is provided with a cam edge which, when lever 67 isdetented in its rearward position, is positioned to engage the pins 71fixed in the zero stops 23, and, during the lateral movement of block 19as above set out, cam the stops 23 seriatim into type bar arrestingposition. As the key 40 approaches its fully raised position, the arc ofmovement of the pin 101 in the lever 82 takes pin 101 away from hook 106to release lever 82 and bell crank 86 for return to their normalposition, as shown in Figure 1. Also, with the setting of the last zerostop 23 rearwardly by the cam lever 67 during movement of block 19, theforward end of detent 76 strikes the end of a plate 118 mounted on theframe 22, to release the detent and permit restoration of cam lever 67to its normal position by spring 70 as shown in Figure 5.

During the first cycle following operation of key 40, usually amultiplying cycle, slide 92 is restored to its normal position whereinit is latched by hook 91. The restoration of slide 92 is accomplished bycyclically operating parts 124, and 127 which engage the rear edge of anextension of slide 92. These parts correspond to parts 115, 117 and 118of application Serial No. 182,672 above. Indexing lever 35 is thus freefor reengagement with bar 28 to retain bar 28, swinging lever 29 andblock 19 in the positions to which they may be later back-spaced.

During such back-spacing movements or a similar complete return of lever29 for reindexing a new amount, and with the machine conditioned fornormal operation, that is, not set for a constant factor entry, as block19 returns to its leftward or normal position, the stops 23 originallyset rearward are restored to their forward position and clear of thetail pins 17 as shown in Figures 1 and 5. This is done by an upstandingbar 128 fixed on the block 19 and having lugs 130 for engagement witheach horizontal row of stops 23. The lugs 130 are provided with abevelled corner which, as the block 19 moves leftwardly, cams on therounded rear ends of stops 23 and forces them to move into theirrearward position. At the completion of a computation, the swinginglever 29 is fully restored to the position shown in Figure 5 wherein allstops 23 are restored to their forward positions.

Erroneous entry correction mechanism Frequently an erroneous amount isentered in the amount keys 11,'and the key 40 is depressed before thediscovery of the error. The present invention provides means formanually restoring slide 92 upon return of slide 19 to reset the pins23. Such return of slide 19 is effected by depression of a correctionkey 133, Figure 8, which key restores the swinging lever 29 from anindexed position to the home position and, by means of the bar 128resets the stops 23. Since the operation of the key 41) released lever92 from engagement with the hook 91 to disengage the bar 28 from notches34, it is also necessary to restore the release lever 92 before acorrect amount can be entered by the amount keys 11. In the machine ofapplication Serial No. 182,672, this requires a blank machine cycle, butin this disclosure, such restoration is effected by depression of thecorrection key 133. To enable key 133 to do this, a bell crank 134',Figure 4, is pivoted on a stud 136 fixed in the machine frame. One legof the bell crank is provided with a slot 139 for receiving a pin 140fixed in the release lever 92. The other leg of the bell crank 134extends rearwardly into the path of movement of the bar 28, so that asthe lever 29 approaches its restored position, it pivots the bell crank134 about its pivot stud 136 and restores the release lever 92 toengagement with the hook 91'. Coincident with the restoration of therelease lever 91, as the block 19' approaches its restored position, acam edge 143, Figure 5, of the detent '76 cams on the frame 22to ensurethe restoration of the cam lever 67 when the indexing mechanism is inits normal unindexed condition.

Mechanism for preventing the entering of zeros while an amount isretained as a constant In certain multiplying problems, it is desirableto retain an amount set up in the stops 23 as a constant factor. Thismay be done by setting the bar 128 to a position where the lugs 130 areintermediate the stops 23, and pass by the stops 23 as the block 19 isrestored. With the bar 12% so set, it is only necessary to depress andrelease the key it to release the lever 29 and the block 19 for movementto the highest denominational order, positioning the type bar tails 17for engagement with the stops 23 set to conform to the constant beingretained, before proceeding with a succeeding computation. As previouslydescribed, the depression and release of the key 49 causes zero stops2.3 to be set by cam lever 67 during such movement. The presentinvention includes means to prevent such setting of the zero stops as aresult of operation of the key 40, while the machine is conditioned forretaining a constant.

Setting of the bar 128 to a constant retaining position is effected by alever 145, Figure 3, secured to a shaft 146 which is journalled in abracket 14% secured to the machine base, not shown. Mounted on andactuated by the shaft 146 is a cradle 149. A link 2 .51 connects thecradle 149 and a lever 152 pivoted on a shaft 154, Figure 1, fixed inbracket 155 secured to the keyboard frame 25. The lever 152 has an ear157 provided with a slot, not shown, which, when slide 19 is in thehighest denominational position, engages a plate 15% secured to thelower end of the bar 128. Fixed on the lever 145 is a pin 160 forengaging notches of a detent 164, which is pivoted on a stud 166 in thebracket 145, and urged into detenting position under the tension of aspring M7. With the lever 14-5 in its rearward position, and the pin 160detented in the rear notch of detent 164, the bar 123 is supported inthe position shown in Figure l, where the lugs 130 are aligned with thestops 23 and efiect their return to normal position during restorationof block 19.

When lever 145 is in its forward position, and the pin 16%? rests in theforward notch, the lever 152 is pivoted upwardly about the shaft 154,raising the bar 128 to a position wherein the lugs 13d) are intermediatethe stops 23, and the amount indexed on pins 23 is not destroyed as theblock 19 is restored. The lever 152 is provided with a bent-over ear 169which, in the rear position of lever 145, rests clear of the lever 52.Lever is moved to the forward position to retain a constant factor whichhas been indexed on pins 23. Such constant factor is made available forfurther computations by a depression of key 40 torelease the indexingmechanism escapement lever 35. At such time, however, cam lever 67 mustnot be effective to set the zero pins 23. Therefore, when lever 1% isset into the forward, constant retaining position, ear 169 of lever 152is positioned directly to the rear of lever 52 preventing motion of thislever 52 upon de pression of key 40. The release of slide 92 to releasethe indexing mechanism escapement lever 35 is not altered.

Summarizing, it will now be clear that operation of key 40 will alwaysbe effective to release slide 92 and free the indexing mechanism formovement to the highest denominational position. If there is nopreviously indexed amount on pins 23, the cam lever 67 will also be setto index zeros in all unindexed denominational rows of pins 23. If,however, the previously indexed value has been retained set up in pins23 by positioning lever 145 forwardly, then no movement of lever 52 toset cam lever 67 is permitted and no additional zero pins will be set.

'The above description of avpreferred embodiment of the invention is notto be taken as limiting the scope of the invention for many alterationsin structure may be made without departing from the spirit of theprinciples involved.

What is claimed is:

1. In a calculating machine of the class described having indexingmechanism comprising a plurality of digital keys, settabledenominational stop members, means operable by said keys to set saidstep members, denomination by denomination, indexing escapement means topresent successive denominations of said stop members for setting bysaid keys, printing members, means connected to said printing membersand engageable with set ones of said stop members to limit movement ofsaid printing members, a cam member positionable to set the stop memberrepresenting zero which is in the denomination next lower than the lastdenomination indexed by said keys, an indexing escapement releasemember, a constant key, means yieldingly operated by said key upondepression thereof to set said positionable earn member to the zerosetting position, other means operated by said key upon release thereofto operate said escapement release member, said cam member beingthereupon eifective to set the stop member representing zero in alldenominational orders not having a set stop member, a manipulative locklever, and means settable thereby to prevent operation of said constantkey operated means and setting of said positionable cam member to thezero setting position.

2. A printing calculating machine of the class described having aplurality of digit keys, a plurality of settable stop members arrangedin denominational rows, operating means between said key and said stopmembers, means to shift said operating means relative to said stopmembers to enable said operating means to set stop members denominationby denomination upon operation of said keys, an escapement mechanismoperable by said digit keys to control said relative shifting of saidstop members and said operating means, a sliding member releasable tofree said relative shifting means from said escapement mechanism, amember to set a stop member representing zero in the denomination orderaligned with said operating means, a constant key, means operated bysaid key upon depression thereof to shift said zero stop setting memberinto zero setting position, other means operable by said constant keyduring return from depressed position to release said sliding member andthereby free said relative shifting means for movement to a fullyindexed position, said zero stop setting member during said movementsetting the zero stop member in all non-indexed denominational rows, aconstant lock lever, a stop member restoring bar normally operative toreset said. stop members during restoration of said relatively shiftablestop members and operating means to a home position, means operable bysaid constant lock lever when set in constant locking position todisable said stop member restoring bar to prevent resetting of said stopmember and mechanism set by said constant lock lever when in lockingposition to prevent setting of said zero stop setting rnembcr into stopsetting position by depression of said constant key.

3. In a printing-calculating machine having digit keys, indexable stoppins arranged in denominational rows, indexing members between said keysand stop pins to set said pins by operation of said keys, said stop pinsand said indexing members being relatively shiftable, an escapernentmechanism to control the relative shift of said indexing members andsaid stop pins, the combination of an escapement release member operableto determine a free relative movement of said indexing members relativeto said stop pins into alignment with the lowest denominational row, asecond stop pin setting member for the stop pins representing zero andrelatively movable with said indexing members, retaining means to holdsaid second step pin setting member in a set position, a manipulativeconstant entry key during a return thereof to a home position to freesaid escapement release member for operation, and members yieldinglyoperated by said constant entry key during its movement from homeposition to set said second stop pin setting member into effectiveposition.

4. In a printing-calculating machine having digit keys, indexable stoppins arranged in denominational rows, indexing members between said keysand stop pins to set said pins by operation of said keys, said stop pinsand said indexing members being relatively shiftable, an escapementmechanism to control the relative shift of said indexing members andsaid stop pins, the combination of an escapement release member operableto determine a free relative movement of said indexing members relativeto said stop pins into alignment with the lowest denominational row, asecond stop pin setting member for the stop pins representing zero andrelatively movable with said indexing members, retaining means to holdsaid second stop pin setting member in a set position, a manipulativeconstant entry key, means operable by said key during a return thereofto a home position to free said escapement release member for operation,members yieldingly operated by said constant entry key during itsmovement from home position to set said second stop pin setting memberinto effective position, a stop pin restoring member effective duringthe return of said stop pins and said indexing members to a homeposition to reset any set stop pins, a constant lock lever devicesettable to move said restoring member to an ineffective position, andan abutment thereon engageable with said yieldably operated members topermit operation of only said escapement release member when saidconstant entry key is manipulated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,647,690 Anderson Aug. 4, 1953

